14 Things You Didn't Know About Panera Bread

When it comes to seamlessly combining eating well with fast-casual dining, Panera Bread knows how to deliver. The chain famous for serving up bread bowls to die for and actually tasty salads, also has a number of wholesome factoids hiding up its bakers sleeve.

1. It Was Originally Called St. Louis Bread

Back in the '80s, Panera Bread was no more than a meagre little St. Louis bread chain appropriately named the St. Louis Bread Co.. Those shops were bought up by the same guys who founded Au Bon Pain in 1981 and eventually transformed into the trusty Panera we know and love today. But the original stores will always carry the St. Louis Bread Co. emblem that started it all.

2. Au Bon Pain is Basically Just Panera in Disguise

If you've ever eaten at this pseudo-bistro, you'll probably enjoy Panera: The two were founded by Ron Shaich and Louis Kane in the '80s and both lived under the Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. umbrella for nearly two decades. It wasn't until 1999, when Shaich sold off Au Bon Pain to focus on expanding Panera, that the two became separate entities.

3. The Word Panera Means Bread Bowl

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Well, sort of. The Spanish word literally translates to bread basket or bread box, so it all depends on how you interpret it. But considering the chain is famous for its bread bowls, it seems obvious what the intended meaning is.

5. They Have Almost 2,000 Locations

After the chain shed Au Bon Pain in 1999, it completely blew up. What started out as just 20 shops in the St. Louis area became nearly 2,000 locations in just a decade. In 2009 alone, the store expanded by more than 30 percent, meaning a new location was unveiled almost every five days.

6. Stores Play Classical Music at All Times

If Beethoven isn't your jam, then Panera might not be the place for you. The cafe is notorious for only pumping the classical beats. So if you were hoping for some jazz, you might be better off kicking it at Starbucks.

Before McDonald's started shilling kale salad and Chipotle championed antibiotic-free ingredients, Panera led the healthy eating revolution by doing something that's now considered commonplace. It was the first to start listing calorie counts on menus.

In addition to that, it's also sworn off using artificial ingredients. That includes everything in its "no-no list" and anything that might be carrying antibiotics. Let's just hope it doesn't go by way of Chipotle and give us all e. coli.

9. Panera is Dedicated to Providing Safe Meat and Poultry

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With news of salmonella, norovirus and e. coli outbreaks at chains like Chipotle, customers are becoming more and more particular about where their food comes from and what happens to it before it reaches their plates. Panera was a pioneer when it comes to offering antibiotic-free meat, becoming the first national restaurant company to offer chicken raised without antibiotics at scale (one reason why the Strawberry Poppyseed & Chicken Salad was such a hit!).

They're doing a pretty great job off removing antibiotics across the board, too—100% of the restaurant's pork is antibiotic-free, all chicken and roasted turkey is antibiotic-free and vegetarian-fed, and 89% of its beef is free range and grass-fed. All eggs will be cage-free by 2020.

10. All That Delicious Bread is Baked Fresh Daily

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Every night, fresh dough is delivered to all Panera locations from 23 different facilities across the country. So their bread is about as fresh as it gets. As for the loaves that don't get sold, they're all donated to charity. Way to go Panera!

11. Their Extra Bread Doesn't Go To Waste

As for the loaves that don't get sold, they're all donated to charity. Items only sit on shelves in-store for a single day, but thanks to the Day-End Dough-Nation program, any remaining breads, bagels, muffins and pastries are boxed up and delivered to community hunger relief organizations. In 2014, the chain donated a retail value of $100 million worth of bread and baked goods nationally. Way to go Panera!

12. They Offer Free Coffee Refills

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13. There's a Secret Menu With Tons of Healthy Options

Unlike at Starbucks, where your request for an off-menu item might be met with a confused stare, Panera's hidden menu is something that all staff know about. Have no fear when ordering high-protein meals with low processed carbs like a Power Breakfast Egg White Bowl or a Power Steak Lettuce Wrap. Yum!

14. You Never Have to Wait in Line at Panera Again

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Panera 2.0 has introduced lots of high-tech elements to the restaurant experience for customer convenience. Rapid Pick-Up allows customers to place their order online or on their mobile phone (up to two weeks ahead of time!) and pick up their food from a special shelf without waiting in line. At many locations, you can even place your order via a touch-screen tablet platform—something that should integrated into half of the chain's cafés by the end of 2016.

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